(1) A person commits the crime of animal neglect in the first degree if, except as otherwise authorized by law, the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence:

Attorney's Note

Under the Oregon Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class C felonyup to 5 yearsup to $125,000
Class A misdemeanorup to 364 daysup to $6,250
For details, see Or. Rev. Stat.161.605 and Or. Rev. Stat.Or. Rev. Stat.161.615

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Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 167.330

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100

(a) Fails to provide minimum care for an animal in the person’s custody or control and the failure to provide care results in serious physical injury or death to the animal; or

(b) Tethers a domestic animal in the person’s custody or control and the tethering results in serious physical injury or death to the domestic animal.

(2) Animal neglect in the first degree is a Class A misdemeanor.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, animal neglect in the first degree is a Class C felony if:

(a) The person committing the offense has previously been convicted of one or more offenses under this section, ORS § 167.325 or the equivalent laws of another jurisdiction;

(b) The offense was part of a criminal episode involving 10 or more animals; or

(c) The person knowingly commits the offense in the immediate presence of a minor child. For purposes of this paragraph, a minor child is in the immediate presence of animal neglect if the neglect is seen or directly perceived in any other manner by the minor child.

(4) The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission shall classify animal neglect in the first degree under subsection (3) of this section:

(a) As crime category 6 if 10 to 40 animals were the subject of the neglect.

(b) As crime category 7 if more than 40 animals were the subject of the neglect or if the offense is a felony because of circumstances described in subsection (3)(a) or (c) of this section. [1985 c.662 § 5; 2001 c.926 § 10; 2013 c.382 § 4; 2013 c.719 § 5]